Fade to Black 2 point 0
by Lunar Skky
Summary: An adoption of ladyshadow's Fade to Black. What will Raine discover about herself, her world? R & r! on hiatus until further notice! sorry  :
1. New Soul

**Before we begin this little adventure let me make one thing clear, this story was not originally mine. I adopted it from the lovely LadyShadows who, for one reason or another, could not continue it and so I offered to do so for her. Therefore it's a lot different than the other stories that I've written so far. With that being said anything after chapter 3 belongs entirely to me. And so we begin...**

**Chapter One: New Soul**

A loud clap of thunder awoken me with a start. _Damn you, stormy weather._ I groggily rubbed my eyes and kicked the covers off of my body. My head pounded. My arms felt weak. I could barely remember what happened last night. I sat up and squinted at my alarm clock. 7:15.

"Dammit," I muttered to myself.

7:15 may seem like a pretty early time to wake up, but it's _really_ late if school starts at 7:30. I sprung up from my bed and ran to my closet. Not caring what I wore, I pulled on some skinny jeans and a white tank top. Then I yanked a yellow hoodie over my shoulders. Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder exploded in the sky again. I groaned and zipped my hoodie all the way up, preparing for the weather.

I ran to the bathroom and furiously brushed my teeth and hair. When I was done, I looked in the mirror. I didn't even recognize myself. I had a dark shadow over my left cheek and a deep cut on my lip. There were bluish-black shadows under my eyes. I rolled up my sleeves and examined my arms. There were black and purple bruises spotting them. I gasped, last nights events flooding my brain in a rush.

My dad had come home from the bar, drunk. I was sitting on the couch, minding my own business. I knew he was going to come home late and wasted. I ignored him. He came up to me and screamed at me for no reason. He told me I was useless and a disappointment, that I never should have been born. Then he beat me. He always did. My mom didn't know. She never did. I'm good at hiding the evidence.

I felt the hot tears threaten to spill over my eyes, but I blinked them away before they could. Crying meant weakness. Do not be weak. Do not be _weak_.

Remembering my priorities, I ran downstairs as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake my parents up and risk getting hit again.

I grabbed my backpack and phone and walked out the door. The rain was pouring down in buckets. The sky was so gray it was almost black. But I didn't mind. Now no one can tell if I was crying or not.

When I arrived at school, I was soaking wet. I trudged through the office, mumbling my apologies and dragged myself to my first class. Everyone was already absorbed in a worksheet.

"Late, Raine Farris. Do not be late again," my teacher, Ms. Kenny, warned me. I rolled my eyes and plopped down in the empty seat next to my best friend.

"What are we doing, Jenna?" I asked. Jenna Pierce had been my best friend since kindergarten. She was the only one who understands why I would sometimes show up to school with bruises on my face and body.

Without looking up from her paper, Jenna snorted. "If you weren't late, you would know."

I rolled my eyes at her and walked to my teacher's desk. "Can I have a packet please?"

My teacher grumbled something inaudible and slapped a thick packet in my open hand.

"Due. End of period."

I nodded and walked back to my seat, with no intention of doing the packet. I sat there in silence and let my thoughts wander.

"Dude, Raine, you should start doing the packet. Class is over in twenty minutes," Jenna whispered.

"What's the point?" I complained.

Jenna sighed. "I don't want you to become a prostitute or something and work on the streets."

"You worry too much." I rolled my eyes and turned away from her. I heard Jenna sigh and continue writing in the worksheet titled 'Elements of Physics'. Even the title made me want to hurl.

When the bell finally rang, I left my empty packet on my desk and walked straight out of the room. I heard my teacher call after me, but I ignored her.

I continued my morning classes in a cranky mood. No matter what Jenna told me or said, I wasn't interested. I couldn't get my brain to wrap around her words and make sense of them.

When lunch finally rolled around, my mind began clearing up. There was a commotion in the lunch room and I was slightly interested in it.

"What's going on?" I asked Jenna.

"People in my last period class were whispering about a new kid and how he's really hot," she let out a small squeal.

I looked into the center of the cafeteria, where most of the kids were crowded.

"I'm guessing the new kid is popular now."

Jenna shrugged and we walked, oblivious to the crowd, to our usual lunch seat in the far corner.

I wasn't really hungry so Jenna went to the lunch line herself. I kept my eyes at the center of the cafeteria, trying to get a glimpse of the new kid.

When the crowd finally dispersed, I could at last sneak a peek. I saw him and gasped. He was...beautiful. He had dark hair and matching dark eyes. He had strong limbs and facial features. His skin was unnaturally pale and smooth. His full lips moved gracefully as he spoke, sometimes revealing his pearly white teeth.

I was staring so hard that I didn't notice Jenna sit down next to me. I also didn't notice that the new kid was staring right back at me. I whipped around as fast as I could before he could see my blushing face.

Jenna chuckled. "Someone's got a crush on the new kid."

"What? No! I just _saw _him. Besides, I don't even know his name."

"Maybe you should go ask him."

"I. Am. Not. Going. To. Do. That." I pressed my lips into a thin line.

"Yes you are," Jenna said matter-of-factly.

I thought for a minute. "Fine," I mumbled. My hands were already shaking with anticipation.

I gathered up all my strength and courage and stood up.

"I'm going to something I've never done before in my life." I glared at Jenna.

"Good, it's time for some changes around here." She smirked and waved at me.

I took a deep breath and walked towards the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on.

Stupid me.

**So? What do you think? Is this a story you can support? I hope it is, because I'm super excited for the possible journey this story can take us all on!**

**Just a little FYI: this story is rated M as of right now simply for language. It may get a bit racy later on but I'm not sure just yet.**


	2. Moving on

**Chapter Two: Moving On**

_Don't be a coward. Don't be a coward. Don't be a coward._

_Oh, who am I kidding? I'm walking towards possibly the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on and I'm not going to be a coward? I can't believe I let Jenna talk me into this. She can be so...manipulative._

I walked towards the center table, trying to keep my chin up and my knees stable.

As I was walking, the new boy stared at me. I don't know if he was checking me out or looking at me in disgust. I didn't really care. I kept walking. When I reached his table, Taryn Johnson, the most slutty whore in school, was sitting so close to him she was almost on his lap. Taryn is the skinniest girl alive. She can cross her legs _twice_. I'm not fat or anything. I'm actually pretty skinny myself, but Taryn is a stick. And yet, she still manages to look pretty. I grimaced slightly.

"What do you want?" Taryn asked in her high voice as I neared the table. The new kid didn't take his dark mysterious eyes off me. Taryn's little posse giggled around her. I wanted to slap them all across their over-made up faces.

"I wanted to welcome the new student to our high school," I replied, trying to sound unfazed.

Taryn popped her gum. "Well, I'm welcoming him. So you can leave." She cast the boy a seductive glance that he ignored. I almost laughed. _Almost_.

"She can stay," he finally said, not taking his gaze off my face. His eyes were filled with some emotion I couldn't read.

I nodded my head at him. "Thanks. My name is Raine Farris, junior. What's your name?"

"My name's Derrick Greyson. I'm a junior as well." He kept looking at my face. _Is there something weird on it? Something gross or creepy? _I touched my face with my fingers and a shot of pain caused me to gasp. _Of course! Why didn't I remember I had ghastly bruises covering me? I am so stupid. Now Derrick must think I'm some creep who gets beaten up all the time - which is partially true._

"It's...it's nice to meet you." I mumbled.

"I'd like to see you around sometime," Derrick said out of the blue. I was shocked by his statement.

I heard Taryn gasp and I was immediately filled with satisfaction. Derrick had no interest in her. He was more interested in me. _Me._ The girl who is beaten by her father, too afraid to tell her unaware mother and has only one friend. I felt like dancing. I looked Derrick straight in the eyes with my new-found confidence. His face was even more beautiful up close, if that was possible.

"I'd like to see you around, too." I smiled.

Derrick smiled back, his white teeth gleaming. "Me too. Being around fake people makes me feel..."

"Fake?" I suggested. Derrick laughed, a deep ringing bell. I couldn't get enough of it. I had to make him laugh again. "Well, whenever you decide to stop hanging around with this stick," I pointed to Taryn, "and with some people who actually have room on their bodies for _real _boobs, come find me."

Taryn pushed up her bra and pulled down the neckline of her shirt a little. Her face was filled with pure rage, which made me want to keep going. Derrick's pleasing laughter filled my ears again. I laughed along with him.

"You are one funny girl," he said in between his laughter. I watched as Taryn's face changed from pink to red in seconds. I had finally done something that made me happy, that made other people happy.

"Why thank you," I beamed.

Taryn's face finally returned to normal now. "Why don't you leave?"

One of Taryn's followers, Shelby Jones, smirked. "Yeah, emo girl, take your bruises and cuts and leave."

That one hit home. Rage fired up in the pit of my stomach. "Excuse me?"

Derrick noticed the change in my mood and his eyes glared at Shelby. "What you said was _extremely_ rude." His voice was low, almost a growl.

Shelby immediately shrunk away. Derrick's eyes followed her, as if they were pushing her further and further.

"No it's okay. I should go." I didn't know why I had the sudden urge to save Shelby, but it felt like the right thing to do. But next time she says something like that, I'll let Derrick push all the way into the ocean.

"Alright, I'll see you soon." Derrick's face changed from anger to happiness in a fraction of a second.

I turned around from Derrick's table and smiled to myself.

I walked back to Jenna, who had a tell-me-everything-NOW look on her face already.

When I sat down, Jenna looked at me expectantly.

"Well?"

"I've never seen anyone, not even boys, stand up to Taryn Johnson like that."

Jenna opened her mouth in shock.

"And he stood up, for _me._" I finished.

Jenna shook her head. "This kid is something. Something different."

I giggled. "He's different and awesome! He said he wanted to see me around."

"I'm proud of you, Raine."

"Derrick Greyson is the most amazing person I've ever met. I'm so glad you made me talk to him," I gushed.

"More amazing than me?"

"Oh shut up! This is different. I've never felt this way before." I was suddenly overcome with the pain and sadness of my past. Only Jenna knew about it. She was the only one who knew how to comfort me.

"I know you had a hard childhood, Raine. Now is the time to forget about it and move on." She patted my back.

"I just wish someone could sweep me off my feet and take me somewhere that's not here." I could feel the tears well up in my eyes already. I was just happy and now the thought of my past ruined everything.

"Someone's going to sweep you off your feet. And his name is Derrick Greyson."

I sighed. "You don't know that. I just met him today."

"When you walked over there, he never took his eyes off you. He _likes_ you, Raine. Accept it. I know that it's hard to let love back into your body when you've grown up to be so distant and closed, but it'll be good for you. Trust me."

And at that moment, I believed her. I believed my best friend's words. I am going to let Derrick into my life and into my heart, even if he doesn't feel the same way about me. I'm going to love him because being around him will make me better. It'll make me stronger.

It'll give me the strength to move on.

Bring it.

**Reviews? For me? Oh you most definitely should!**


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